European countries are obsessed with ball possession.I've seen Netherlands team sink many times due to this.They keep playing the ball between themselves, back and forth. Often passing back to the keeper.This, when they're not even leading.There's even a term for this (at least in Holland) - "tik-tak". (Spain is tik-tak king, famous for short passes).And then when they're nearing the opposition goal, they're still often in this mode!I think this is one reason Germany got kicked out this time.They also often play this way - but they're usually more clinical in finishing.This time that clinical edge failed them completely.

South American teams play very different.If they can, they just race towards the opposition goal when they get possession.Hoping there's a team-mate they can pass to - IF NECESSARY.If not, they'll take on the opposition themselves.No tik-tak nonsense, for the sake of tik-tak.This is also the reason their counters are more dangerous.

raja wrote:European countries are obsessed with ball possession.I've seen Netherlands team sink many times due to this.They keep playing the ball between themselves, back and forth. Often passing back to the keeper.This, when they're not even leading.There's even a term for this (at least in Holland) - "tik-tak". (Spain is tik-tak king, famous for short passes).And then when they're nearing the opposition goal, they're still often in this mode!I think this is one reason Germany got kicked out this time.They also often play this way - but they're usually more clinical in finishing.This time that clinical edge failed them completely.

South American teams play very different.If they can, they just race towards the opposition goal when they get possession.Hoping there's a team-mate they can pass to - IF NECESSARY.If not, they'll take on the opposition themselves.No tik-tak nonsense, for the sake of tik-tak.This is also the reason their counters are more dangerous.

Australia team does this and it achieves nothing but provides the opponent time to reset their defense. Most chances come from direct play and you still have to have the quality of players to finish.

Spain out!Russia win on penalties after it is tied 1-1 in 120 minutes.This comes as a surprise cos Spain must be considered the overwhelming favourites before the game.Russia somehow managed to hang in there for 120 minutes - rendering Spain's tiki-taka ineffective.Remember, even the 1 goal to Spain's credit was an own goal from Russia.So in 120 minutes, Spain couldn't get even one goal in.

raja wrote:European countries are obsessed with ball possession.I've seen Netherlands team sink many times due to this.They keep playing the ball between themselves, back and forth. Often passing back to the keeper.This, when they're not even leading.There's even a term for this (at least in Holland) - "tik-tak". (Spain is tik-tak king, famous for short passes).And then when they're nearing the opposition goal, they're still often in this mode!I think this is one reason Germany got kicked out this time.They also often play this way - but they're usually more clinical in finishing.This time that clinical edge failed them completely.

South American teams play very different.If they can, they just race towards the opposition goal when they get possession.Hoping there's a team-mate they can pass to - IF NECESSARY.If not, they'll take on the opposition themselves.No tik-tak nonsense, for the sake of tik-tak.This is also the reason their counters are more dangerous.

Australia team does this and it achieves nothing but provides the opponent time to reset their defense. Most chances come from direct play and you still have to have the quality of players to finish.

Croatia's elated coach Zlatko Dalic lauded his captain Luka Modric who missed a penalty in extra time but then scored another in a shootout victory over Denmark on Sunday that put them in the World Cup quarter-finals.

"I am fascinated with his determination to shoot after he missed in extra time. He took the responsibility as a true captain, and it speaks volumes for Luka... Can you imagine if he had not scored? But he is a great player," Dalic said.

With the score at 1-1 in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Modric's penalty five minutes from the end of extra time was saved by Kasper Schmeichel. However, the captain opted to return and converted in Croatia's 3-2 shootout win.

"After Modric's missed penalty, we all harked back to Vienna and that situation where we lost in 2008," Dalic said, referring to an agonising shootout defeat to Turkey in their Euro 2008 quarter-final when Modric also missed.

"But you have to have faith. The dear Lord has repaid us. Without luck, you cannot do anything in life, I am overjoyed."

Dalic, who rushed to celebrate with fans after Croatia won, also had warm words for his goalkeeper Danijel Subasic who saved three of Denmark's penalties.

"I believe that somebody dropped him but he is fine," he said of the chaotic celebrations at the end when team mates mobbed Subasic. "He was our hero tonight, he saved three penalties in a shootout. You don't see that every day. He pulled us out when we needed him most. Great thanks to him."

Ironically, both Croatian players who missed penalties against Denmark in the shootout -- Josip Pivaric and Milan Badelj -- had converted in a practice session the previous day.

"They scored spectacularly and yet tonight they missed. Every situation brings its drama but we were the ones to come out on top tonight," Dalic said.

Croatia now face hosts Russia on Saturday in Sochi, but having also beaten Lionel Messi's Argentina 3-0 in Nizhny Novgorod, Dalic jokingly mused about staying.

"I carry only beautiful memories from Nizhny Novgorod. Are there any other games played here?" he said.

On a serious note, Dalic recognised Croatia were under par on Sunday after their canter through the group stage, and he praised Denmark for disrupting their normal flowing style.

"We haven't played a great game, not at the level of our previous games but we played for a result," Dalic said, turning his focus immediately to Russia.

"I am going to say to my lads that we are playing the best team in the World Cup. We must not be arrogant... It will be a huge test for us... We have come so far, we do not intend to stop here, but I'm sure Russia think the same."

Croatia vs Denmark: Luka Modric seizes his chance at World Cup redemption and reverses history

Most players who cost their team the game in the World Cup never get a chance at redemption. A few very lucky ones do, but they have to wait years down the line. Because how often in a football career will anyone find himself on this stage, with his country’s success riding on his own ability to deliver under pressure?

Luka Modric only had to wait 15 minutes.

With five minutes of extra-time remaining here in Nizhy Novgorod, Modric had a penalty to put Croatia 2-1 up and surely into the quarter-final against Russia in Sochi next weekend. It was a penalty he had earned himself, from his own brilliant pass, and he wanted to be the man to take it.

Modric is a magical footballer able to make almost impossible technical skills – like that pass – look simple. But here, with the quarter-finals beckoning, his magic was reversed, and he made the simple look impossible. He froze and sidefooted a telegraphed penalty to Kasper Schmeichel’s left. He dived to save, at 11.26pm.

That would have been the end for many players. Modric will be 37 by the time of the Qatar World Cup and who knows what state he and the Croatia national team will be in four years’ time. A miss like this can attach itself to a player’s career and even his post-career life. Just ask Gareth Southgate.

But when the game finished 1-1 and was to be decided by penalties, Modric knew that he could not pass up his shot at redemption. Because who knows if he would ever get another? When might Croatia next be in the last 16 of the World Cup, with their half of the draw opening out conquerable in front of them?

So with Croatia 2-1 down, and Schmeichel looking hard to beat, Modric picked up the ball to face him again at the other end of the pitch. It must have felt like a lifetime for Modric since his miss, time to agonise over his career, his three World Cup campaigns, his four Champions League medals, and when he might ever get this close to the biggest prize of all again. He put this kick down the middle too, but Schmeichel dived out of the way. Modric was redeemed and it was only 11.41.

Had he missed there was no way Croatia could have won the shootout. They would have been 2-1 down but more importantly, they would have seen their hero humbled twice. As it happened, they were inspired by his resurrection. Danijel Subasic saved the next two, Ivan Rakitic scored and Croatia won 3-2.

After the celebrations came the tears, as Sime Vrsaljko and Dejan Lovren were among those crying at the end. Because Croatia are in the quarter-final, against a beatable Russia team, and who knows where they can go from here.

And by winning this game in the way that they did, and by overcoming their own neuroses, they suggested that maybe this year will not be like Euro 2016. For much of tonight it felt just like it would be.

Two years ago Croatia were in an almost identical position going into their last-16 match with Portugal in Lens. They were the best team in their half of an unbalanced draw. They had a winnable last-16 ahead of a comfortable quarter-final. And they should not be too troubled by the semi-final after that. Certainly not if they played like they did in the group stage.

That was the setup this time two years ago, precisely the same context for tonight. And that night in Lens they froze completely. Not creating a chance for almost two hours until Ricardo Quaresma scored on the break in the 118th minute. Modric left the pitch in floods of tears. Portugal beat Poland in the quarters, Wales in the semis and France in the final, lifting a prize that could easily have been Croatia’s had they not been weighed down by fear.

This game was not quite as bad as that, and each team scored an ugly clumsy goal in a strange opening four minutes. After then, though, the game settled like concrete, both sides terrified of what might happen if they let any more space, speed or energy into the contest. Nothing much happened for almost two hours until Modric’s brilliant pass, Jorgensen’s foul, and Modric’s missed penalty.

That would have crushed many players, not just tonight but for years to come. But Modric undid his own mistake, reversed his history, and now Croatia are in the quarter-finals. And on Saturday night in Sochi no one will care that his first penalty of this evening he hit straight at the keeper.

Did you guys see the incident that caused the penalty (that Modric missed)?I think we need a special category of penalties for this type of situation.

The goalie had moved out, Rebic was right in front of the goal, staring at a wide open goal - and then Jorgensen comes from behind and fouls him.

Croatia got a penalty, but Modric messed up.

I was furious cos a penalty is supposed to be a punishment for a foul - it is supposed to put the team at a disadvantage.

Here you had a guy who had an open shot at a goal, gets fouled - and how he/his team has to fire at a goal, with a goalie to defend?How's that a penalty?

So in such cases, we need to either gift it straightaway to the fouled team - or have a penalty, but with an open goal. No goalie to defend.

If Denmark had won the shootout, it would have been grossly unfair on Croatia.One can argue that Modric shouldn't have missed the penalty - but that's not the point at all.It was hardly a PENALTY for Denmark.

raja wrote:Did you guys see the incident that caused the penalty (that Modric missed)?I think we need a special category of penalties for this type of situation.

The goalie had moved out, Rebic was right in front of the goal, staring at a wide open goal - and then Jorgensen comes from behind and fouls him.

Croatia got a penalty, but Modric messed up.

I was furious cos a penalty is supposed to be a punishment for a foul - it is supposed to put the team at a disadvantage.

Here you had a guy who had an open shot at a goal, gets fouled - and how he/his team has to fire at a goal, with a goalie to defend?How's that a penalty?

So in such cases, we need to either gift it straightaway to the fouled team - or have a penalty, but with an open goal. No goalie to defend.

If Denmark had won the shootout, it would have been grossly unfair on Croatia.One can argue that Modric shouldn't have missed the penalty - but that's not the point at all.It was hardly a PENALTY for Denmark.

Dear Raja,

Agree. It was an open goal.

Also, in any case, it was a red card not a yellow card. Referee clearly wrong.

The second half of the Belgium-Japan game was fantastic.Felt sorry for Japan.They were good - and in that last minute when they had that counter against them, it was because they really went all out.A more conservative side would have still kept its defenders at the back, and gone for extra time.

Also Japan did not do any drama of wasting time due to fake fouls and stuff.

That last goal was about as perfect a counter and teamwork as you will see.Lukaku's dummy was awesome.

This World Cup is turning out to be quite something.Colombia seemed to be more interested in a streetfight than playing football.In the first half, the referee seemed to be on a yellow card spree.Not without justification.

Somewhere in the second half, the game picked up a bit.First Colombia conceded a penalty - you could sense it coming, the way they were playing.For a while after that, they continued their fouls - till suddenly they seemed to realise there was a game being lost here.And their fouls weren't helping.Only then did they actually play some football - though there was still plenty of bad blood between the sides.And then, when it looked like it was all over, out of nowhere, in injury time, Colombia came out of nowhere to equalise.A good header from Mina.

30 min of tension - I think Colombia played well in the first 15, but England were far more determined in the second 15.They clearly didn't want to go to penalties - whereas Colombia was happy to just hang in there.

And then the penalties.Colombia first.If I remember right, this is how they went1-01-12-12-23-23-2 (Henderson's shot stopped by goalie)3-2 (Colombian player's shot stopped)3-33-3 (Colombian player hits the upper bar; trying to be too smart)3-4